STOP APING THE U.S. ON DRUGS POLICY

ON OCTOBER 18, you reported 'Essex Police organise training to combat drug
use in schools".

I find it incredible that the DARE scheme will be presented after it has
been widely acknowl-edged as a costly failure in the US. (New York Times,
27 Sep, etc)

When will the authorities in this country realise that we are not
Americans, we do not want to be treated as Americans, and we certainly do
not want to import failed American policies on drugs or anything else?

Prohibition of alcohol in the USA failed and had to be withdrawn, and
prohibition of other drugs both here and in the States has failed. What we
need is a new approach! How about accepting that drugs, whether legal or
illegal, can tempt a significant proportion of the population, as they
have done throughout history?

We need to recognise that as a fact and look at the ever-increasing
figures of drugs damage under a regime that leaves the supply in the hands
of criminals.

We need to see a Government that acts more as a caring and protecting
parent, not an authoritative and often hypocritical nanny.

Legalisation would ensure cleanliness, separate the supply of one substance
from another, ena-ble the recognition and treatment of addicts, generate
revenue, ease the burden on police and courts and, in short, wipe out most
of the illegal market almost overnight.

As for cannabis -- well that should have never been made illegal in the
first place. The concept of punishing a person for an act that bears no
malice and harms nobody is simply atrocious. I urge everyone to reject this
DARE!

Alun Buffry.
Legalise Cannabis Alliance,
P0 Box198,
Norwich.